Face to the Ground
by emotionalize
Summary: Updated  ch. 5! Palex  Life. Death. Everything inbetween. We're living life. We're going to experience death, but the question is, can we survive the inbetween?
1. Fallen Angel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of it's characters.**

Her fingerpads lightly caressed the outline of her beautiful figure. She had placed herself in her arms when she jumped into bed late last night. She had pulled her arms from underneath her and wrapped them around herself. Then, as she fell asleep, she melted into her. Alex didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave her angel here all alone. Alex didn't know what it was that was bothering her tonight, but she was sure something was. Paige kept fitfully tossing and turning, all the while making sure that Alex was there. That there was a body full of warmth right next to her, her hands had held onto Alex's all night long; slightly squeezing at random intervals. At those random intervals, she would groan, a groan full of pain, her eyes were squeezed shut. As if she were to wake, the nightmare would come alive.

Ellie had called. Alex had felt her cell vibrating underneath her pillow. For a moment, she couldn't remember how it got there, and then instantly remembered Paige. Paige had said that she would be home late, Alex had put the phone underneath her pillow just incase she called. When she awoke to the vibrations of the phone, she realized that Paige was right by her side and that she was clasping her hands in her own. She struggled to find an empty hand to grab her phone, she flipped it open; "Hello?" She answered huskily, whoever was calling could clearly tell that she was sleeping.

"Alex?" A voice cried out, she recognized the voice, but couldn't exactly pin it down to a name.

"Alex? Are you there?"

Ellie!

"Ellie? What's wrong? It's fucking 2 am."

"I know. I..I'm sorry. I just..I need someone right now." She could hear the tremors in her voice. Ellie was fighting back tears. Her breath came in shallow gasps.

"Ellie..." Alex trailed off. "...What's wrong?"

Ellie failed to answer the question. "Could you...Do you think, you could come by? Please Alex. I really need you right now." The redhead sounded like she was about to burst into a million pieces.

"Yeah! Yeah. Definitely. Just...Just give me a bit okay?" There was a click, Alex pulled the phone away from her ear. 'Call Ended.' was all it said.

Now here she sat, her free hand was running down the outlines of Paige. As much as Ellie needed her, Paige needed her as well. She looked at the bedside clock, fifteen minutes had passed since she told Ellie she'd be there. She had to go. Differences aside, Ellie was her friend, she always had been. She couldn't leave her hanging. Besides, she was only a few blocks away from their apartment. Alex still couldn't help the smile on her face when she thought of this tiny place as 'their apartment', as in her's and Paige's. They were really trying to make this work. She removed her other hand from Paige's grasp so she could get out from under the covers. Paige stirred a bit. She was a natural heavy sleeper. She barely heard anything, whereas Alex, nothing went by unnoticed, even when she was sleeping. She found her way out of the bed, trying to make as little noise as possible. She was in her usual sleep attire, a white wifebeater and shorts. She looked around for some slacks, there had to be a pair here somewhere. Her side of the room was a slight mess, Paige was moreso a neatfreak. She spotted her grey slacks hanging off the side the dresser, she pulled them on over her shorts. She was going for a short walk, and she was sure Ellie wouldn't care what she was wearing when she showed up, just as long as she showed up. She was about to leave the room when she remembered her cell. She was always forgetting it. She reached across Paige's body and picked it up, just in case. Paige fidgeted a bit more, and a tiny groan escaped her pink lips. Alex's forehead crinkled in worry. She hoped she was okay. She gently kissed Paige's forehead as she grabbed her keys off the bedside table. She'd be back soon. Hopefully, before Paige woke up. That way she'd be here to make sure that everything was just as fine as she hoped they were.

**A/N: **This is just an idea that I've been battling with for a while. I'm not so sure where it's going, but if you care to stick around, and add some suggestions or ideas, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. Oh, I've edited it to make it more readable. Lol. It was quite cramped before.


	2. Fascination with Disaster

Alex's knuckles knocked lightly on Ellie's apartment door. She had got here as quick as possible when she realized how long it'd been since Ellie asked her to come. She heard a shuffling come from behind the door, and locks being undone. Wow. Ellie had a ton of locks. She thought to herself. The door creaked open. She caught a glimpse of the redhead's hair, but nothing more. Ellie had turned around and quickly headed back to her seat on her couch. Her face hidden by her hair.

"El?" Alex spoke up, while she pushed the door to a close behind her.

Ellie didn't answer. Alex made her way over to the couch. She plunked down next to her friend, and put her hand on her shoulder. Ellie shuddered.

"Ellie? What's wrong?" The redhead shook her head, and Alex felt her shoulders rise and fall.

Something was wrong. Despite what everyone thought, Alex wasn't as soft as she was when she was with Paige. Paige was something different, she brought the best out of Alex, a part of herself that others would never be able to see. She wasn't going to play games with Ellie. She knew something was wrong, and she wasn't going to wait forever to find out. She got up off the couch and kneeled infront of the redhead. She pushed her hair back, so she could see her face, but her hand stopped midway, caught in Ellie's hand.

"Don't." She whispered.

Alex ignored Ellie's comment, and brushed Ellie's hand off of her's. She pushed back Ellie's hair on both sides, and raised her eyes to look at her face, only to see a sight she never thought she'd see. Her eyes widened. The side of Ellie's left cheek was bleeding, and her right eye was started to swell.

"Ellie..." Alex breathed.

"Cra..Craig..." Ellie managed to squeak out before she threw herself onto Alex and burrowed her face into her shoulder.

Alex held onto her friend tight. Her mind racing. Craig? Craig did this to Ellie? Alex wondered. She thought Craig was in Vancouver still, trying to get himself into a music career. She felt a wetness creep into her skin, Ellie was crying again. She pulled Ellie off her, and stared her in the face...

"Ellie, I need you to tell me what happened. Please." Ellie stared at her back, Alex felt like she was looking in on her soul. Ellie simply nodded, and opened her mouth to start speaking, instead a slight shudder escaped her lips as images of what just happened flashed by in her mind.

Ellie had finished speaking, and now Alex stood up pacing back and forth between Ellie, who was still on her couch and the tv, that for some reason was still on.

"So, wait. Let me get this straight. Craig came in this morning from Vancouver, and you said you'd give him a place to stay since he was only going to be a here a few days, right?" Alex's glare pierced Ellie's daze. Again, the redhead nodded.

"You spent the whole day together, and got back here at like, what...Eleven?" Ellie just kept staring at Alex while she tried to figure out this whole scenario. Trying to wrap it all around her head.

"You headed for a shower and left Craig out here watching tv. Then when you came back he was snorting coke?" Her questions had become rhetorical now. She knew what she was saying. She understood it completely. She just needed to voice them.

"You yelled at him, and took away the coke and threatened him. Told him that if he was going to keep doing it, you weren't going to let him stay..." Alex's voice strayed off and became very faint as Ellie's mind reverted back to that scene. She had taken it all away from him. All that he had placed on the table, and took it with her, holding it over the garbage can. She couldn't let him do this to himself. She pleaded with him to stop.

"Craig...You can't. You can't do this anymore." Her voice became stronger. "I won't let you do it to yourself. I won't!" He just laughed at her, as if this was all a joke.

"Ellie, c'mon. What are you going to do, really? This isn't such a big deal. It's just for fun."

"For fun?" She countered. "Do you know what this is doing to you? For fun, Craig? This isn't fun!" Her voice rose, as she threw all of disgusting substance into her garbage can.

Craig lunged at her. Her head flew to a side and her cheek grazed the end of her kitchen drawer. She could feel the warm trickle of blood falling down the side of her cheek. Craig looked furious, he was glaring at her. He made his way to the trash can and started digging through it. Looking for whatever particle of the substance that he could scrounge up. Ellie jumped to her feet. She could handle the slight sting, but she couldn't let Craig rip apart his future. She grabbed him by the shoulders and tried pulling him back from the can.

"Craig! Stop! Craig! You're better without this!!" She was tugging on him and she felt his elbow shoot back into her stomach. She was fresh out of any air. He started laughing. He had found his packet.

"This..." He turned around and looked at her, waving the package. "This is what makes me. I do need it. More than I need you. You're such a bitch Ellie." He was getting up from kneeling on the floor when she lunged at him, trying to grab the packet. He had seen it coming, and as soon as she leapt forward Ellie could feel the back of his hand slide across her face. It didn't slide though, it slammed. And Ellie fell backward. Craig had grabbed his stuff and run out the door, saying nothing, leaving Ellie on the floor, heartbroken and bleeding.

"Ellie?" Alex snapped Ellie out of her silent reverie. Apparently, Alex had finished recounting the even to herself.

"Ellie, you need to report this. You can't let Craig get away with it. He'll find help Ellie. This is the best way to put a stop to all this, you can't let yourself go on like this." Alex was actually pleading with her.

She was as soft as she seemed when she was with Paige, Ellie thought to herself. Or maybe, it had just been Paige. Maybe Paige was the reason for the change.

"Ellie, are you listening to me?" The redhead's eyes found Alex's, and Ellie managed to squeak out a "Yes."

"Good." Alex nodded. "Now, are you going..."

Ellie cut her off. "Alex! I can't. Can't you see that? Can you understand it? I can't do that to him. As much as Craig has changed, I can't...I just can't do that to him. He's...I...I just, can't." She shook her head frequently while saying this.

Alex found herself on her knees infront of Ellie again, she tilted the redhead's face so she could see her square in the eye, "You still love him, don't you El? Even after all this, you still love him..?" Ellie didn't say anything, but her eyes didn't lie. "You do." Alex sighed. She couldn't help that. Alex understood. Probably better than anybody. Paige had hurt her quite a few times, but it had never been anything physical. If anything, Alex could overpower Paige in any physical activity, but she wasn't about to tell her that. But still, she loved Paige. Nothing could overpower the love she felt for the tiny blonde. Alex moved over to sit beside Ellie.

"Well, what are you going to do El?" Ellie looked up at Alex, the only thing Alex found was a ton of confusion.

"I don't know. I really don't."

Alex sighed again. The blood had crusted over on the side of Ellie's cheek.

"Okay. Well, let's not rush into anything right now, let's get you cleaned up first."

Alex made her way to the kitchen and found the First Aid Kit. Paige had taught her how to really work this thing. She cleansed all of Ellie's open wounds and got her an ice pack for the eye.

"Listen, El...Maybe it's better if you get some rest, instead of sitting on this couch and staring at that tv."

Alex knew that wasn't what she was seeing. The images that were on the tv weren't registering in her head, all she could probably see was Craig, and his radical behaviour. Ellie nodded. Alex helped her up and took her to her bedroom. She pulled the covers up to Ellie's chin, and brushed her hair back.

"I'll check up on you later."

She checked Ellie's bedside clock, it was 6:30am. She had spent over three hours at Ellie's. She hoped Paige hadn't woken up just yet. She was about to make her way out of Ellie's room when the redhead spoke up.

"...Alex?" Alex turned around, and looked at Ellie. "Don't tell anyone, please?"

Alex nodded, and then made her way out of the apartment, hoping to get back in time for Paige not to notice she was gone.

**A/N:** So, we're getting somewhere. I think I know where we're going. Thanks so much to nOwHeRe89 for all her support. It helps a lot! This is a lot longer than the other one. And I suppose you guys would need a sort of backstory. Well, this is past S6. Everyone's got their own places in Toronto, Alex and Paige have obviously stayed together and are working things out. Craig still has a Coke problem and Ellie is on her way to becoming a star journalist. A few more characters might pop up. But, we'll just have to wait and see. I'm thinking of bringing in Marco, Dylan and maybe Jesse. Review please! Now, onward!


	3. Anger Beneath Her Wings

Paige could hear Alex's keys entering the lock and turning it. Then the door opening.

"Hey hon."

Paige sauntered out of the bathroom with a few bobby pins in her mouth, she was fixing her hair. She didn't seem mad, Alex thought. She seemed fine.

"Good morning to you too."

Paige wafted back into the bathroom to glimpse at her reflection in the mirror, she had to make sure her hair looked perfect. Alex noticed that she seemed to float wherever she moved, it wasn't a walk, it was like she was floating on air.

"You're up early." Paige noted.

Alex had expected this. Paige wanted an explanation. No, not wanted, needed. She wouldn't be satisfied without one.

"Mm..Yeah. I got a phone call from a friend in need." Alex knew it wasn't good enough. Paige would want the gory details and Alex had promised Ellie that she wouldn't speak a word of this to anyone. Paige stepped out of the bathroom again,

"Anyone I know?" She wouldn't let this go.

Alex shrugged. She had promised Ellie after all. The bobby pins that were in Paige's mouth disappeared, and were now back in her hair. Alex stared at her lips, enticed. They were pink, perfect and extremely luscious to the touch.

"Alex...Alex. Alex!" Paige's voice brought her back from the delicious thoughts that were crossing her mind.

"You're really sexy in the mornings, did you know that?"

Paige smirked. "Yes. But, you're not usually up to enjoy it. Or notice it, for that matter. Which brings us back to the fact that you're up at 6:45 in the morning...To help a friend? Which friend? Please tell me it wasn't Jay."

"It wasn't Jay." Alex smiled.

"Are you just saying that because I asked you nicely to tell me it wasn't him, or are you being serious?"

"I'm being absolutely serious. Why do you think I would lie to you?"

"Because, you're not exactly telling me the truth, now are you?" Alex's smile disappeared. Paige wasn't playing games.

"Paige. C'mon. Let it go please? I'll explain everything when I can." Alex tugged at her girlfriend's waist. But the hardened expression on Paige's face didn't soften.

"Alex, if we're together, I need you to open up to me, I need you to be honest, we can't hide things. I thought we went through this already."

Alex sighed. "We did. I know. But, this isn't something that is mine to tell. It's the other person's business. It's not my secret Paige. It's theirs."

"But Alex, don't you see? It is your secret! It's the reason you left me at 3 o'clock in the morning and returned at 6:45!" She turned her back towards Alex and headed back into the bathroom.

"See. Your secret." She mumbled as she tried fixing invisible bumps in her hair. She was fidgeting. She fidgeted when she was worried.

"You knew? You knew when I left?"

"Yes. I knew. I always know. I know when you get up to use the bathroom and when you come back. I know when you get up to watch tv, and come back. I know when you get a midnight snack, geez Alex! I know when you leave me because I miss the feel of your body next to mine!" She blushed. She hadn't expected to say that.

Alex grinned wickedly. "You know what I feel like?"

Her blush went even darker. But her expression was still hard.

"Don't try to change the subject missy!"

Alex got up from her position on the arm of the couch and moved behind Paige in the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around her waist and snuggled up to her shoulder, breathing on her neck. Paige giggled, and tried pushing her away.

"Alex..Stop. You know I can't stand it when somebody's breathing down my neck. It makes me all ticklish inside."

Alex smiled again. "More the reason to stay."

Paige struggled to find her words while trying to control the fits of laughter that wanted to escape her lips.

"I...I've got work to go to. And you...You still have to come up with a proper explanation hon. Or else, I'm putting a security watch on you." Paige teased.

"Paige, I left to help a friend. That's all. You'll probably hear about it sooner or later." Paige had now shifted her body so that she was face to face with Alex.

"But hon, I don't want to hear about it sooner or later, I want to hear about it now. From you." Her voice had lost all it's playfulness. It confounded Alex how Paige could in one second be in the happiest of moods and the next be absolutely serious about nothing at all.

"I want to hear who's so important that you'd leave me to go take care of in the early hours of the morning. C'mon Alex. Let me have it. All of it. No lies. No secrets." Alex shrugged. Keeping Ellie's secret was going to seriously end up hurting her.

"I just can't. Not yet Paige. Please, please don't be mad?" But Paige was already mad, she just turned away from Alex, breaking the chain that Alex had created with her arms that wound them together.

"Listen, I'm really tired. I don't have a class until about 2pm. I'm going to sleep, maybe I'll see you for a quick coffee?" Paige said nothing. Alex knew she'd have to find a way to make it up to her. She stepped up behind Paige, a little closer this time, making sure there was no space inbetween them and dropped a quick kiss on her girlfriend's cheek, and then headed off to bed. She wasn't going to try for anything more.


	4. And I Don't Dare Say

Alex woke up at 12:30pm. Paige had left the house in a huff, she didn't even stop to give Alex a goodbye kiss. She really was mad. And worried. She wondered what Paige was so worried about. It's not like Alex was...Alex's eyes widened. It wasn't because of the sudden shaft of bright light coming in from her window. Paige thought she was cheating on her! Alex got up in a hurry and ran to the bathroom, stuffed her toothbrush in her mouth and started looking for some decent clothes. She found a pair of black jeans lying on her side of the room and tugged them on. Then she started rummaging through her drawers looking for a top; she found a black shirt and shrugged that on as well. Paige would have some snarky comment to make when she saw this outfit. Running back to the bathroom, she gargled and splashed some water on her face, she needed to look slightly awake. She picked up her bag and scanned the room for her cell. It was still in her grey slacks! She threw some clothes over her head looking for the grey slacks, found it! She grabbed her cell, and the keys and ran out of the house. She needed to find Paige.

Paige, luckily was at the store still, she was just going to head of to her coffee break when Alex burst in the door. Paige was slightly startled. She didn't expect Alex to be here, and besides that matter she was still upset with her.

"Paige!" Alex called. She was really out of breath.

She made her way to the counter where Paige sat, waiting for prospective customers. The store had been slightly empty this morning, but the morning rush was usually for coffee, not for t-shirts. She expected to get more customers when the school day was out. Paige picked up the shirts she had been folding and moved from behind the counter to place them on their proper shelves. She still hadn't spoken a word to Alex. She was placing the last shirt on the shelf when she felt Alex shuffle up behind her. The dark eyed girl wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled Paige in tightly.

She breathed into Paige's ear, "You...You don't think I'm cheating on you, do you?"

Paige's body tensed as Alex voiced her biggest fear. Frustration surged within her. She twirled so she was now facing Alex, her nose about a millimetre away from Alex's lips.

"What else could you possibly being doing in the early hours of the morning? Buying presents?" Paige snapped sarcastically.

She wouldn't admit to Alex that easily that that was the first thought that had crossed her mind when she realized that her girlfriend was missing beside her in the bed. Alex stared into Paige's eyes, they were the window to her soul. Paige couldn't keep secrets from anybody if they searched her eyes long enough.

"You really believe it...Paige." Alex sighed. "I could never do that to you." Alex brushed her lips against Paige's before Paige pulled away. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Paige, look." She grabbed Paige's arm and placed it right over her racing heartbeat. "You are the only one who does that to me Paige. No one else. You are the one. The only one."

"Alex..." Paige was interrupted by the ringing of the bell, signaling that a customer was entering the shop. Paige removed her hand from Alex's grasp and smiled at the customer.

"I have to get back to work."

Alex took that as her signal to leave. She picked up her bag and rounded her way out the door. She hoped with all her heart that Paige believed her. It was the closest thing to the truth, the real truth was that Alex loved Paige with all her heart. She belonged to her, physically, spiritually, mentally, she was Paige's toy. She could bend and break her as much as she wanted, but she would always love her. If only, Alex thought, if only Paige knew. But Alex couldn't tell her that, it would just overload her. It was too much. Probably enough to scare her off.

**A/N: **Wow. Two chapters in one night. Aren't you folks lucky? Review. Please. Thanks.


	5. Aversion

It was time to check up on Ellie, Alex thought as she exited the store. Paige was staring out the store window at her. She could tell that she had upset the raven - haired beauty. She didn't mean to...Oh who was she kidding? This was exactly what she wanted. She wanted a reaction from Alex. She wanted to hear those three little words. She was hoping for them, when Alex had told her that she wasn't cheating on her. In her heart, Paige knew that Alex wasn't capable of doing that to her, but her head was telling her something different. She was left to believe that it was possible, that Alex was doing such a thing. Her head just wouldn't let her heart win, and her head stimulated every action that she made. She couldn't help the suspicion, and the jealousy. As afraid as she was of saying it, she loved Alex. With all her heart. She only wished she could simply voice it. And maybe, just maybe Alex would feel the same way. But she wasn't certain. Without some sort of certainity, Paige wasn't about to put herself on a brink, where everything could break with just one touch. She had enough to deal with already, she couldn't lose Alex along with the rest of it. She had to talk to her mother about Alex, and what they were. She had the store to take care of, she had her education to think about; what was she going to do with that? Was she going to continue it? Was she going to get her degree? Or was that just all a formality, something that wasn't really necessary? She was more lost than ever, the only thing that kept her from completely falling was knowing that Alex was there with her, every step of the way. And now look at what she'd done. She was testing the boundaries of everything lately, she just hoped this one didn't blow up in her face.

Alex knocked on Ellie's apartment door;

"El?"

She hoped she was awake already. She didn't want to wake her up if she was still sleeping. She heard another bunch of rustling coming from inside the apartment, and then all the locks coming undone. She had to have gotten up to do up those locks, Alex certainly hadn't locked them on her way out. Hell, they were there to keep people out.

Ellie opened the door quietly. Her eye had swollen to it's full form. Wow. Those buggers burst out quick, Alex thought.

"How yah feeling?"

"Better." Ellie responded.

"Thanks Lex."

"It's no problem El. Just, promise you'll be a little more careful the next time. You know, when you're surrounded by druggies who can't survive without their high." Alex joked.

Ellie just stared at her. Okay, maybe this wasn't the time for joking. Ellie was right. It wasn't a laughing matter.

"I'm sorry. You know it was only joke."

Ellie just nodded. Alex found her way back to Ellie's couch, to which Ellie had once again attached herself to. She had made herself a bed on the couch, it was now covered in her white pillows and blankets. Alex was almost to scared to sit, she was afraid she'd sit on something that was hidden underneath all of the fluff and squish it. Or break it. With that in mind, she remained standing. Ellie had the tv back on again, Alex noticed. She probably needed the noise. Or the thought of a distraction.

"I..uh..I brought you something to eat." Alex opened her bag and pulled out a paperbag. She had stopped by the deli on her way to Ellie's. She didn't think the redhead would even acknowledge her growling stomach.

"Thanks." Ellie said as she reached for the paperbag. "You know you can sit, right?"

"Hmm...Yeah. I know. I'm just...Afraid I'll squish something. Under all that fluffiness."

Ellie cracked a smile. It was a half smile, but a smile nonetheless. That meant that they were getting somewhere. Alex just had to watch her taste in humour today. Ellie visibly pulled up her knees to her chest to give Alex some sitting space, and as soon as Alex plunked herself down next to her friend, Ellie's legs were on her lap. Alex grinned at her.

"Getting comfortable quick, are we?"

"Mmhmm..." Ellie mumbled with her mouth full. She didn't realize that she was this hungry. Of course, she wasn't really sure of anything until Alex came along, tucked her into bed and she fell asleep. It wasn't the best rest she'd had, it was troubled, complete with twists, turns and getting completely tangled in her sheets. She had awoken, feeling hot and sticky and decided to take a shower. The cold water felt refreshing on her hot, clamming skin. She was washing away the residue of Craig's abuse in her mind. It left her feeling a lot better. She had situated herself on the living room couch with the tv remote in hand, randomly flipping channels, ignoring all her emotions and trying to focus on the words coming out of the actor's mouths. It didn't work. All she saw was Craig's hand slamming her to the ground. Her shower couldn't even get that off her mind. She had completely zoned out, thinking of absolutely nothing until she heard Alex knocking at the door. The next time Alex looked over at Ellie, she had realized that the sandwich was almost gone.

"Oh wow El, that sure was fast."

"I didn't realize I was this hungry. Thanks again. It feels like I haven't eaten in ages."

"Well then, I suppose it's a good thing I came to check up on you huh? Bringing gifts and all." The sarcasm exiting Alex's mouth made Ellie almost snort a tomatoe out of her nose. Her body was shaking with laughter.

"Woah! Woah. Be careful. We don't want a blown blood vessel now, do we? I think you've gone through enough pain already."

Ellie's laughter immediately stopped. For a second, she had forgotten the whole ordeal that had occurred in her tiny, one bedroom apartment.

"El..I'm sorry. I didn't..." Ellie shook her head as if to cut Alex off.

"No." She gulped down the last pieces of the sandwich.

"You're right. I can't keep pretending that this didn't happen. Because, it happened Lex. I'll just be more fucked over if I pretend that everything's fine. Because it's not! I mean...Look what he did to me Lexi! Look!" She gestured towards her eye.

"What person who seriously loves you would do that to you?"

Alex was at a loss for words. She didn't know about much about love until she met Paige. Oh shit. Paige. For a second, the blue eyed babe had escaped her mind. The expression on Alex's face quickly changed from sadness to frustration. Ellie had noticed.

"Lex...What's wrong with you now?"

Alex sighed. "Paige."

It was the only word she could say that would explain anything. Paige is what happened to her. Paige is what made everything so great. Paige is the only thing she couldn't fuck up. But here she was, fucking it up.

"What'd she do?" Ellie asked. "I shared my heartbreak. Now share yours. Although, you seem in a better condition that I do."

She was cracking slight jokes now, Alex thought. It was better than complete silence.

"It's not Paige. It's me. I'm the reason we're screwed right now."

"What do you mean?"

"She knew when I left this morning, to come see you. Since I promised you I wouldn't say anything I didn't. And she thinks I'm cheating on her because of my early morning escapades. Especially since I don't get up that early for anybody or anything. Except maybe Angelina Jolie on Regis & Kelly. Also, Kelly's pretty hot." Despite the sadness haunting her eyes, Alex still knew how to put a fun spin on everything.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?"

"Told her what?"

"The three little words, the same ones that are always on your mind whenever you look at her. Everyone can see it Lex. I'm thinking it's just you and Paige that are oblivious to it."

"Ellie," Alex heaved a sigh. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell her the truth. Tell her you love her. Everyone knows it, just not Paige."

"Whose everyone?"

"Me. Marco. Spinner. Even Hazel and Jimmy. And Craig, when he's not completely stoned all the time."

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. She shook her head.

"See, that's not possible El. I didn't even know I loved Paige this much until, until she left…"

"Love's not easy when you're the one experiencing it. It's easier for everyone who's looking in on it. Trust me. I'd know." She cocked her head to the left and rolled her eyes.

Alex just sat there, lost in deep thought. About Paige. About Ellie. About Craig. About everything that was going on that was beyond all of her control. And to think, that she could even begin to try and fix it all. She wasn't Wonder Woman.

"Hey," Ellie said as she reached for Alex's hand. "everything's going to be fine. Paige…"

A knock at Ellie's apartment door interrupted her in mid – sentence.

"Ellie?"

It was Marco.

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the late-ness in updates. But school's just begun. And everything's trying to get back in routine. I hope this is good for now. I'm working on finishing it. Thanks so much for the reviews guys. Keep em coming! There's so much left to tell.


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